Piano-violin.



Patented Jan. 8, I90l.

a. MEGA. PIANO VIOLIN.

(Application filed Nov. 1'7, 1899.)

2 Shaets-Sheot I.

(No Model.)

Inventor,

Witnesses;

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Patented .Ian. 8. I904.

R. MEGA.

PIANO VIOLIN.

(Application filed Nov. 17,. 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shoat 4.

(No Mqdel.)

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l l l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROCCO MEGA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-VIOLIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,690, dated January8, 1901.

Application filed November 17, 1899. Serial No. 787,328. (No model Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R0000 MEGA, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan,in the county andState of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Piano-Violins, of which the following is aspecification.

Myinven tion relates toimproveinents in the piano violin orharmonichord, which is a stringed instrument with a keyboard prod ucingtones similar to those of the violin by the pressure on the strings ofthe revolving bowwheels or other bowing means and the consequentvibration of the strings by the bowwheels. The improvements relate tothe combination of the harmonichord with a pianoforte, so that both canbe played at the same time from the same keys. They also relate to themanner of arranging and driving the bow-wheels and in the employment ofan inflated tire for the bow-wheels, all as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a verticalsection on the line 0c of Figs. 2 and 3, showing my improvements inconnection with an upright piano. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on theline 06 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 50 00 ofFig. 1, the upper part being broken away. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectionthrough one of the bow-wheels.

The invention is shown in connection with an ordinary upright pianohaving the usual keyboard 1, piano-action 2, sounding-board 3, andpiano-strings 4.

The harmonichord is located below the piano-keyboard.Itconsistsofaseriesofsounding-boxes 5 with vibrating strings 6. rangedin front of a series of bow-Wheels 7. The bowwheels are mounted on theends of parallel spindles 8. These spindles are journaled in a framework9, which is rigidly secured to the case of the instrument. The spindlesare vertical and are ranged parallel to each other about midway betweenthe front and back of the instrument. The bow-wheels at the tops ofthese spindles are at slightly diiterent heights and are of sufficientdiameter to overlap. In consequence the bow-wheels and the soundingboxesare more compactly arranged than would be otherwise practicable. On

each bow-wheel spindle is a sprocket-wheel 10, and a chain-wheel 11 isled over each of the sprocket-Wheels and an idler-wheel 12, the spindlesbeing thereby connected. They are driven by a treadle 13. This, throughthe pitman 14, revolves the bevel-gear 15, which meshes with thebevel-pinion 16 on the lower end of the jack-shaft 17. A sprocketwheel18 on the jack-shaft, through a chain 19, drives a sprocket-wheel 20 onone of the bow-wheel spindles, and thereby the other spindle. Thebow-wheels as they revolve and press against any of the vibratingstrings bow them and vibrate them in substantially the same way in whichthey would vibrate when struck by a violin-bow. The bow-wheels haveinflated rubber tires 21 with a flat tread, on which hair 22 is wound toprovide a surface suitable for bowing the vibrating strings.

The lower ends of the sounding-boxes are hinged at 23 to a rail 24, andthe upper ends are swung to and from the bow-wheels. This is donethrough connections to the keys of the piano-keyboard. The connectionsconsist of the elbow-levers 25 and posts 26. These parts are mounted ona rail 27, which can be removed from the case Without disturbing theparts of the case which carry the other parts of the mechanism. 13yremoving this rail the sounding-boxes can be folded forward to giveaccess to the mechanism.

Resin-blocks 28 are clamped in sockets at the ends ofarms 29,adjoiningeach bow-wheel. These arms are mounted on rock-shafts 30, and rods 31are attached to the arms 32 on the rock-shafts. These rods end inhandles outside the case. By pulling on these rods the resin is appliedto the wheels.

The instrumentis so constructed that either the pianoforte or theharmonichord may be played without sounding the other. The harmonichordcanbe kept from sounding by not revolving the bowwheels. Thepianoforteis kept from sounding by disconnecting the action from thekeyboard. This is eifected by pushing the extension-rods 33 of theaction beyond the ends of the keys. The extension-rods are kept in placeat their lower ends by extension-guides 3 L, hinged to theextension-rods and to the bottom rail 35. This bottom rail is pivoted,so as to swing about its upper edge. It is rocked by the push-bar 36,which terminates in a knob outside the case of the instrument. When therod is pushed in, the rail is tilted toward the back, and the lower endsof the extension-rods are pushed back of the ends of the key-levers,where they will not be lifted when the keys are played.

Many modifications may be made in the arrangement and construction ofthe parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus themechanism for the harmonichord may be placed at any desired angle, thebow-whee1s, for instance, being in vertical instead of horizontalplanes. The spindles for the bow-wheels and the sounding-boxes wouldthen need to be in horizontal planes.

A treadle is shown in the drawings for operating the bowwheels; but itis obvious that amotor, either electric or otherwise, might be usedinstead.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a musical instrument, the combination with a keyboard of a seriesof overlapping bow-wheels mounted on parallel axes, a series ofsounding-boxes adjacent to each b0w-wheel,each sounding-box beingprovided with a vibrating string, mechanism operated by the keys toeffect the vibration of the strings by the bow-wheels, sprocket-wheelsfor the bow-wheels, a chain connecting the sprocket-wheels by being ledover them in an undulating course, and means for revolving thebow-wheels, substantially as described.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination with a keyboard, of a seriesof overlapping bow-wheels mounted. on parallel axes, a series ofsounding-boxes adjacent to each bow-Wheel, each sounding-box beingprovided with a vibrating string, mechanism operated by the keys toeffect the vibration of the strings by the bow-wheels and means forsimultaneously revolving the bow-wheels, substantially as described.

In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with aseries of sounding-strings, of a bow-wheel, and an inflatable tire uponthe bow-wheel, having a bowing-surface with a flat tread, adapted to setthe strings in vibration, substantially as described.

Signed by me in New York city, borough of Manhattan, State of New York,this 15th day of November, 1899.

ROCCO MEGA.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL W. BALOI-I, EDWIN S. HUNT.

